


The Paths to Our Hearts

by Akiko_Natsuko



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Romance, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-13
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2019-10-26 22:41:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17754860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: It's Valentines Day.Sting and Rogue are living together with two cats, happily engaged and counting the days to their wedding, as they spend valentine's day encouraging others. Lahar and Mest are still working out what they are, their budding romance having been interrupted by the accident that landed Lahar under the care of Freed Justine. A brilliant, albeit overworked doctor who can't even make it to his own valentines' date, but not might not have to as Laxus has a question that needs to be answered.





	1. Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BecauseSin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BecauseSin/gifts).



      Rogue grumbled under his breath as he stretched out an arm to slap at the alarm clock that was blaring far too loudly in his ear, eyes creeping open as all his hand could find was the edge of the bedside table, sending half a dozen things crashing to the ground. Blearily he peered at the table, only remembering that he had moved the clock onto the bookcase beyond, out of reach of sleepy hands when he saw the digital screen flashing red out of the corner of his eye. The grumble became a groan as he shoved the covers back, shivering as the chilly air hit his semi-naked form, the winter chill still lingering even as they moved further into spring, and for half a second, he was tempted to just burrow back under the covers and hide his head under the pillow until the alarm clock gave up. However, he knew that he needed to get up, and with a sigh he moved to sit up, only to discover that he couldn’t move.

   The reason why wasn’t hard to find, and a soft smile tugged at his lips as he glanced at the man sprawled beside him, arms wrapped tightly around his waist. Sting was still dead to the world, oblivious to the alarm clock wailing at them, and not for the first time he envied his fiancé’s ability to sleep through anything. Still, as much as he loved the other man, and usually would have been happy to spend extra time snuggling with him, he really did need to move, and the alarm was growing louder and more piercing by the second. _Why the hell did we buy this clock?_ And he reached down and shook the blond, knowing that if he just tried to pull free, he would find himself grappled.

“Sting,” he called, not wanting to wake his partner, as there was no need for them both to be awake this early but needing to rouse him enough to extract himself. “Sting, let me move.”

“N-no…” The sleepy protest came with a slight loosening of the grip around his waist and leaning over he pressed a quick kiss Sting’s cheek, wrinkling his nose slightly at the stubble under his lips, before carefully extracting himself.

    It was a relief to hit the button on the alarm a moment later, plunging the room back into silence and he rubbed his temple, making a note to see about getting a different alarm clock, even if he had to admit that it was efficient at dragging them out of bed. Sighing, and realising that he wasn’t going to replace it he glanced across at the bed, amused to see that Sting had already moved across into the warm patch he had left behind, the covers twisted around him as he peered at Rogue with sleepy, blue eyes.

“Good morning,” Rogue murmured.

“Morning,” Sting’s reply was ruined by a wide yawn, which ended as Rogue moved back in to kiss him again, managing only a small grimace at the morning breath. Sting chuckling under his breath as he caught it as they pulled back. “You’re the one who kissed me.”

“I know,” Rogue kissed him again, before pulling back with a smile as he realised that Sting was almost asleep again, head bobbing.  “I’m going to shower, be back in a few minutes.” He had a feeling that Sting would be asleep by then, a suspicion supported by the sight of Sting snuggling back under the covers, and his reply that was more yawn than anything else.

“’Kay…”

     To his surprise was Sting still awake when he returned, holding out a steaming mug of coffee with a sleepy smile, that had Rogue very much cursing the fact that he had to go to work. He also wasn’t alone, as two pairs of golden eyes blinked up at him, one slightly cross-eyed as always, and he accepted the mug with one hand as he reached out to scratch Frosch behind the ears, unsurprised when the cat promptly toppled over into the covers.  Shaking his head, he sipped his coffee, savouring the perfect mix of sugar of milk as he transferred his attention to Lector before he could complain at being ignored. “I swear he gets more like you every day,” he muttered, as Lector sprawled across the covers with an imperious meow, and he snorted when the cat and Sting shot him a filthy look. He drained the rest of his coffee, ignoring his partner’s shudder before setting it down on the bedside table, and promptly having to push it out of reach of an errant paw. “Lector…”

“At least my cat…”

“Don’t,” Rogue said warningly, as he glanced at Frosch who was distracted by the twitch of its own paw, oblivious to the drool slipping down its chin. Shaking his head, he moved across to the wardrobe, deliberately letting his towel drop and smirking at the groan from the bed. “You deserved it,” he commented without looking as he rooted through the wardrobe, making a note that they really needed to do laundry soon…and that Sting had way too many clothes. He ignored Sting’s grumble as he finally found what he wanted and yanked them on, before brushing his hair, and pulling it back into a loose ponytail as the last thing he needed was it falling in his eyes today of all day. “What time are you at work?” He asked, glancing at Sting who had rolled over to watch him properly, Lector now curled against his chest, while Frosch lay watching Rogue with huge eyes.

“Noon, but I said that I would meet Rufus for breakfast.”

“Say hello from me,” Rogue wasn’t as close with their old college friend and found him a bit too much at times, but Sting had been delighted when he had moved back to town, and he wasn’t going to complain about anything that puts a smile on his partner’s face. “You’ll be back for dinner?”

“It’s Valentines’ day, I’ll be back before you.”

“That’s true,” Rogue admitted with a grimace, knowing that the shop was going to be manic today, hence being up at the crack of dawn. And he sighed as he glanced across at the alarm clock, realising that he was going to need to go if he wanted to have a head start on the chaos. “All right, I need to get going. Have a good day,” he added, leaning in to steal one last kiss, dodging nimbly out of reach when Sting tried to grab him, knowing that if he ended up on the bed again, he would definitely be late. “Love you,” he called, to take the sting out of his actions, before pausing at the door and glancing at the cats. “Don’t let him go back to sleep.”

“Rogue!” Sting was laughing as he protested, although they both knew that Lector and Frosch would soon drive him out of bed for breakfast, and he shook his head. “Love you too.”

****

    Freed groaned as he stepped into his office and took in the piles of paperwork that were waiting for him, and he was about to turn around and start on his ward rounds early just to avoid facing up to this mess when he spotted the red envelope set neatly in the middle of his desk. Eyebrows rising he stepped inside and glanced around, but nothing else seemed out of place, although he really needed to water the plant in the corner as it was more brown than green at the moment. Either that or he should pass it onto Evergreen, or at least someone who was more green-fingered than he was… so even Laxus would do, he thought with a smile as he crossed to his desk and reached for the envelope, his smile morphing into a grin as he spotted the familiar scrawl on the envelope.

     He hadn’t had a chance to see Laxus properly that morning, as his boyfriend had come home late after pulling an extra night at the Fairy Tail nightclub, and Freed had needed to leave early for work. He had left a card on the bedside table for the blond, and he had assumed that the lack of a card with his name on, meant that Laxus was either waiting until tonight when they were going out for dinner – actually managing to eat together for the first time in nearly a fortnight. Or that he had forgotten to buy one like last year. However, apparently Laxus had been more on the ball that Freed had anticipated, and had clearly roped Evergreen in to help as she was the only one who would step into his office uninvited, and he made a note to thank her later, even as he opened the envelope and pulled out the card.

    It was a simple red heart on a cream background, and inside there was no gushing message or even a name, just _‘love_ _you.’_ in Laxus’ scrawl, and Freed smiled. He knew how much his partner hated shopping for cards, having vowed never to go with him again, after listening to Laxus tearing apart the card selection. So, the card in his hands meant a lot, and he held it against his chest for a moment, a soft smile playing on his lips, before he sighed and set it carefully on the desk. _I love you too idiot,_ he would call Laxus at lunch when the blond should be up and about, and there was a fresh spring in his step as he turned to leave, carefully stopping his eyes from drifting to the piles of paperwork that he knew he would need to tackle this afternoon.

*

    Evergreen was already on the ward when he arrived, and he answered her knowing smirk with a roll of his eyes, as he collected his clipboard and flicked through his list for the day. The ward was quieter than usual, which meant that he wasn’t going to be able to escape the mess in his office for long he realised with a sigh. Still, he had plenty to look forward to tonight, which he prayed would make the day go quicker, as he moved back to the first page and scribbling the date and time, as he headed for the first toom, shaking his head as he realised that someone…and he suspected Lucy or Levy had stuck heart shaped bunting along the corridor.

     He was still shaking his head, having realised they’d also attached heart balloons to each room door, unsurprised to find his first patient sat up in the bed glaring at the balloon as though it had personally offended him. However, he was swiftly distracted by the fact that Lahar was alone in his room and he faltered for a moment, half expecting the young, shaggy-haired man who had been an almost permanent feature at Lahar’s bedside to pop up on the other side of the bed.

“Alone today?” He asked, shaking off his surprise when no one else appeared and moving across to check the chart on the end of the bed, before lifting his head just in time to catch the glint of loneliness in purple eyes, before Lahar scowled.

“Yes, I’m rather enjoying the peace and quiet.” The words were forced, the biting sarcasm that Freed knew him to be capable of missing, and the small quirk of his lips as he glanced at the phone perched on the table gave him as he added softly. “Although, he’s on his way. Apparently, he had something to pick up.”  Freed smothered a smile at that, having a very good idea of what the other man would be doing considering what day it was, however, he wasn’t about to say that aloud, still not sure entirely what their relationship was. Although the frosty air that Lahar had adopted when he’d first been admitted, and in the days following his surgery had long since melted away, and as he’d seen earlier, Lahar now looked…almost happy to see the other man, _Mest,_ he reminded himself.

“I’ll finish up quickly then, so I’m not in the way,” he said instead, moving up to the side of the bed. “Are you experiencing any pain today, I see Evergreen noted you had some last night?”

“It was more pins and needles than…anything,” Lahar’s voice caught, tension seeping in as Freed carefully eased back the covers to check on the bandaged limbs beneath, and Freed filed that reaction away for consideration later. He’d learned the hard way that it was easier to tackle those issues when Mest was around, as he seemed to balance Lahar’s reactions and keep him grounded when memories of what had happened and its consequences were being discussed.  “It’s eased today though.”   

“Let us know if that changes, all right?” Freed asked after a searching gaze, as he began his examination, searching for any sign of pain before deciding that there was enough truth in the response for the time being. Although he frowned when Lahar visibly hesitated, adding with a hint of steal that many never knew he was capable of. “I mean it.” He waited, eyes narrowed until Lahar gave him a reluctant nod before continued as he worked his way down the list. “And you’re down for a session with Erza this afternoon.”

“That sadist…”

“Her techniques work,” Freed pointed out professionally, although he had to agree with the assessment, having witnessed the redhead’s physio sessions on a few occasions. He’d even told Laxus, that he’d rather train with him than face her, and that was saying something as there were very few people who could keep up with his partner. He’d made the mistake of trying once and had suffered for days after, although that had been before he had done any training, and now he could give Laxus a run for his money – maybe not for brute strength, but certainly in speed and endurance, and sheer stubbornness as his partner put it. “I believe, occupational health is waiting on her assessment as well so that we can progress towards getting you home.” There was a glimmer of excitement at that, and Freed smiled, not offended in the slightest as he knew there were very people that actually enjoyed spending time in the hospital.

“If she can get me home, I will never call her a sadist again,” Lahar vowed fervently, and Freed had to laugh at that. It was a sentiment he had heard from many of her patients, which was one of the reasons why her terrifying methods were tolerated.

“Promise her strawberry cheesecake, and she’ll be your friend for life,” Freed offered, before glancing at the door, half expecting the woman to be summoned by the mere mention of sweets. She certainly seemed to appear fast enough on the days that someone brought something into the staffroom. “You didn’t hear that from me.”

 “Of course not,” Lahar glanced at his phone, and Freed could practically see the cogs turning in his head, and with a smile he pulled the covers back up, noting the relief that flickered across the man’s face. He would definitely need to ask Levy to come and see Lahar before they could think about moving forward and he scribbled a note on the edge of the sheet. “Call him,” he said, tilting his head towards the phone. “I’m sure he’d pick something up.” Actually, he wouldn’t be surprised if the idea had already occurred to Mest, as he seemed to have made it his mission to get to know every single member of staff involved in Lahar’s care, gleaning details that not even Freed had been aware of half the time. Freed himself had faced an interrogation unlike any he’d encountered since medical school, and at first, he hadn’t known what to make of the questions coming from a friend rather than the patient. However, it had been clear that they were well-intentioned, and his answers seemed to have been enough as they’d reached an easy peace after that.

“But…”

“Ask,” Freed cut across the protest with a gentle smile. “And I will see you later this afternoon.” Lahar nodded and Freed heard him reach for the phone before he’d even reached the door, and when he glanced back, he could see the man already typing a message, the smile that only Mest seemed to be capable of producing playing across his lips.

****

    Rogue ignored his phone as it vibrated yet again in his pocket, rolling his eyes as he glanced at the clock on the wall. Sting wasn’t at work yet and had taken to texting him silly love poems every hour after he’d finally hauled his ass out of bed.  It was endearing, in an annoying way, especially when Rogue was neck-deep in the chaos that was a florist on valentine’s day, and he’d long since stopped checking the messages, he’d catch up with them all when he had a break. If he had a break, he amended as he glanced around the packed shop, barely able to see the flash of silver that was Yukino as she worked the counter. They had only been open an hour and a half, and he was already knackered, and wondering why so many people left their gifts until the last minute or came out with no idea of what they were looking for.

_Thank god Sting hates flowers…_

     Shaking his head, he was about to retreat into the back to catch a breather and fetch another bucket of roses, when his elbow was grabbed, and he turned to see a shaggy-haired man looking around with a lost expression. Biting back a sigh, and adopting a smile, that he hoped looked sincere he turned to look at him – not for the first time, thanking the gods that he had already found Sting and laid claim to him, so that he didn’t have to worry about this day and the chaos it entailed. They had a well-perfected plan by this point, which involved no flowers or mushy cards, but pizza and movies, and as much dessert as they could fit in their stomachs. And it was the thought of that, and the night to come, and the fact that they were quickly ticking the days off towards their wedding that allowed him to keep the irritation out of his voice.

“How can I help?”                  

“I need flowers…” Rogue couldn’t stop himself from snorting at the obvious statement, although his expression softened as he saw that the other man looked genuinely stressed.

“I’m Rogue,” he said, holding out a hand and there was a pause before the man gathered himself enough to shake it.

“Mest.”

“All right Mest, what or should I say who are the flowers for?” Rogue asked, biting back a smile when Mest’s expression immediately softened, a besotted smile crossing his face, although it was tainted by something darker. Sadness, or maybe even guilt, Rogue decided, having become quite adept at reading expressions during his time working here. However, unlike Sting who would have immediately started asking questions, he waited giving Mest a time to gather his thoughts and look around, knowing that eventually, he would answer.

“It’s our first valentines…” Mest said eventually, but again there was that hesitation and darkness, and his hands had clenched at his side before he abruptly straightened, turquoise eyes determined. “I… he’s in hospital, and we’re not…we’re not.”

“Together yet?”

“Yeah…”

“But you want to be?” Rogue asked, and for a moment he transported back in time to when he had been in Mest’s place, frantically trying to find the right thing to express his feelings – albeit not on valentines’ day, and he smiled when Mest nodded without hesitation. Whatever was causing the edge to his feelings, it wasn’t doubt, and that was enough for Rogue, and he began to shepherd Mest across the shop, away from the buckets of red roses that everyone seemed determined to head for on valentine’s day. “Let’s see what we can make,” he added, waving off Yukino when she made as though to come across, his mind already recreating the bouquet he had given Sting the day he had finally found the courage to tell him how he felt.

_I want others to have that happiness._

****

    Sting glanced up as the bell above the door range, beyond relieved to have a customer as the coffee shop had been dead since he’d started half-an-hour ago, and he had already made inroads on the list of jobs that Minerva had left behind for him. Breakfast with Rufus had been fun, but the other man had needed to rush off for a meeting, and Rogue wasn’t answering his messages, although he was expecting a flurry of messages when his partner finally got a break, and he was bored. So, he immediately brightened when he saw who had entered, hands already reaching for the coffee machine as he called a greeting to Laxus, as the blond never ordered anything but a black coffee.

“Laxus, shouldn’t you be at home spoiling Freed?” He teased, as it was well known amongst their group that for all his attitude, and a fearsome reputation as a bouncer at various clubs around the town, Laxus was devoted to his partner. He also knew what Laxus had planned for today, having been interrogated a couple of months ago about how he had proposed to Rogue. Plus Evergreen had mentioned in passing that she had seen Laxus peering through the window of a jeweller’s weeks ago, and he smirked as he glanced at the other man just in time to see the tips of his ears going red.

“Freed’s at work at the moment,” Laxus still sounded as composed, as usual, accepting the mug of coffee that Sting pushed towards him, and tossing him a note as he added with a small smile. “We’re going out to dinner tonight.” There was a nervous edge to the smile, and to the words, Sting realised as he rang through the sale, and he tilted his head to the side as he studied Laxus, before an incredulous expression stole across his face.

“Do you really think he’s going to say no?” He demanded, and for a moment Laxus looked torn between startled and uncomfortable, his grip tightening on the mug before his shoulders slumped and he sighed.

“Yes…no,” he scowled down at his drink for a moment, before shaking his head.  “No, but I’m still nervous.” Sting swallowed back the urge to tease him, knowing that he had been a nervous wreck when he had asked Rogue, to the point where he’d had to repeat the question because he’d garbled his words so badly, and he’d dropped the box in the middle of holding it out. It had been a fiasco, but Rogue had said yes…just as deep down Sting had always known he would, although it had been hard to remember that in that moment. And it was that experience that allowed him to meet Laxus’ gaze and say with utter certainty.

“He’ll say yes.”


	2. Chapter 2

    The shop was still heaving, and even Yukino was beginning to look stressed, but the corner that Rogue had claimed to work in was relatively peaceful if you could ignore the way Mest shifted nervously from foot to foot. Rogue watched him from the corner of his eye for a moment longer, before he zeroed in the flowers that he and Mest had selected, letting the world fade away as he trimmed the stems, already constructing the bouquet in his mind as he worked. As he started to weave the first few strands together, his tongue crept out, and he began to hum, not fully aware of what he was doing until Mest spoke up after a couple of minutes.

“That’s a nice song, what is it?”

“It’s my partner’s favourite song,” Rogue couldn’t keep the smile off his face as he answered, glancing up at Mest, and catching the flicker of longing that greeted his words.  “It always comes to mind when I’m working on flowers.” _Or anything,_ he thought privately with a shake of his head, still caught off guard by how much Sting had come to mean to him, and not about to share that much. Still, his fiancé must’ve been rubbing off on him, because he found himself unable to ignore the longing, he had seen a few seconds before, and he tilted his head down to the flowers in his hands. “What do you think about when you look at these?”

“Lahar, and how he was before…” The name was softly spoken, but the words that followed were even quieter, not meant for anyone’s ears but Rogue caught them anywhere, as well as a resurgence of the guilt he’d caught earlier. “I’m not even sure he likes flowers.” _Me…_ Rogue caught the doubt, a feeling that he knew all too well himself and he smiled and shook his head.

“If you’re here and worrying about that then I’m sure it’s not the case.” He couldn’t guarantee it, but there was no way he was going to say that today of all days, and his fingers were gentler than ever as he wove the strands where he wanted them to go. Trying to convey that belief through the blooms and trying to capture the complex emotions that he could see playing across Mest’s face as the other man watched him work.

    At some point, he had slipped back into the rhythm of his work, and he was caught by surprise a couple of minutes later when Mest spoke up, his voice a little too loud.

“No…not those ones…” Rogue paused and glanced down at what he was doing, realising that he had been reaching for a lily, glancing between the flower and Mest, the haunted expression reappearing for a second and he nodded and carefully nudged it out of reach with an easy shrug. 

“Okay…”

“There were lots of those in his room when he was first in the hospital.” Rogue hadn’t been expecting an explanation, but he hummed to show that he was listening, watching the other man out of the corner of his eye as he continued to work, watching as Mest wrung his hands together, and looked anywhere but at the flowers. “They…I…we thought he was going to d-die, and…” Whatever else he might have been inclined to say was cut off as his phone went off, and with an apologetic glance at Rogue, he reached for it.

    The way that his face lit up, even if the haunted expression didn’t disappear entirely, was enough to tell Rogue who it was and there was a smile on his face as he turned back to his work. Still, his mind churned over what little he had been told and what he’d been able to derive, and he found his heart going out to Mest.

     By the time that the frantic texting conversation had come to a halt, and Mest glanced up at him, there was a smile on his face and Rogue hoped that the flowers would at least help them have the conversation they clearly needed to have. Checking the last few roses were properly in place, he carefully wrapped the bouquet, fondly remembering the day that Sting had come to work and tried to help, managing to tangle himself up so much that he had ended up looking like someone had mistaken him for a bouquet. A piece of ribbon, teal after a sideways glance at Mest, finished the ensemble and he lifted it, supporting it carefully as he turned to hand it to the other man, who took it with wide eyes, handling it as though it was the most precious thing in the world.

And maybe it was, or at least the potential that it contained was.

“Good luck,” he murmured, before hesitating for a second. He wasn’t quite as ready as Sting to butt his nose into different places, and yet there was something about Mest’s words and expressions that had struck a chord with him, and his voice dropped, aware that they weren’t alone in the shop as he added quietly. “For what it’s worth, I think that regardless of whatever happened in the past, you wouldn’t like him if there wasn’t a chance, he would return those feelings…”

“Thank you,” Mest’s voice was just as soft, but there was a note of hope that hadn’t been there before as his fingers tightened around the bouquet, and he took a deep breath and nodded. “Thank you…”

     Rogue smiled, watching as Mest headed across to the counter to pay for the flowers, before turning around to clear up the mess he had made, fingers gentle as he eased the abandoned Lily back into its bouquet as he swept his trimmings into the bag hanging underneath. He was about to go and see what Yukino needed help with, the queue still nearly at the door, and more people entering as the bell jingled lightly. However, he had barely gone two steps before he was accosted by a frantic woman demanding his ‘best roses’ and just managing a smile, he allowed her to lead him over to the buckets, even as he thought longingly of customers like Mest, or even more enticing the thought of being at home with his own partner.  
  
_It’s going to be a long day…_  
  
****

   Freed sighed with relief as he sipped his coffee, trying to ignore how little progress he had made on his paperwork after his rounds had been done, before glancing across at the clock. It was nearly lunchtime, which meant that Laxus should be well and truly awake by now and ignoring the small voice that told him he should be working he reached for his phone. Pausing for a moment to smile at the picture of the two of them that was his lock screen, taken at his work’s Christmas party a couple of months before, rolling his eyes as he realised that he could see Evergreen and Bickslow pulling faces at them in the background. It was their way of showing that they approved of his boyfriend, after a rather intense interrogation that Freed had pretended, he knew nothing about, touched by their efforts and amused by the way Laxus had practically hidden behind him for the rest of the night.

   Still smiling, he swiped through and found Laxus’ number, gulping down some more coffee as it began to ring, and nearly choking on it when Laxus picked up quicker than he had expected. He coughed and spluttered for a moment, cheeks pink as he set his cup aside, and heard Laxus grumbling on the other end of the phone.

“That’s why you sip it…” The scolding words were said with a wealth of fondness and weariness mixed in, as Freed gulping his coffee and either choking on it or scalding his tongue was a frequent occurrence, especially after a long night shift. Or when he had to be up ridiculously early, as Freed was many things but a morning person was not one of them. “You okay?” The question belied his concern and Freed bit back a laugh.

“I’m fine, sorry…” He could imagine blue eyes rolling at the apology and continued before Laxus had the chance to say anything else. “Thank you for the card.” He grinned at the awkward silence on the other end of the phone, imaging his partner fidgeting, pinpricks of colour seeping into his cheeks, and he half expected to hear the dial tone as it wouldn’t be the first time Laxus had hung up on him when he was flustered.

“You’re welcome,” Laxus surprised him by saying, and his expression softened. “Are you ready for tonight?” There’s a note of…something in the other man’s voice that has Freed frowning, it’s not the edge that comes when Laxus’ father has shown up unwanted on the horizon, or after a bad night at work. Or the apology that comes when work gets in the way of their plans. It’s… he’s not sure what it is, but Laxus had asked about tonight, which means that their plans are still on and he decides to bury the uncertainty and focus on that. “Yes, as long as nothing crops up here.” He prays that it won’t, having lost track of how often he’s been forced to ring up and change their plans because an emergency had come in, and as much as he loves his job, he prays that the fates will be kind to him for once. “G-good.”

_Nervousness._

     Laxus was nervous, Freed realised with that breathed word, pulling the phone away for a moment so that he can just stare at it. He can probably count on one hand the number of times that he has seen or heard the other man be nervous. Flustered yes, embarrassed occasionally, but nervous and he wants to ask, but before he can open his mouth his pager goes off, and he groans instead as he pulls the phone back. “I’m being paged, but I will see you later.” It’s more forceful than usual, a promise to combat the nervousness that he doesn’t understand.

“Love you.” Is the only response, and then Laxus is gone, leaving him open-mouthed as the dial tone beeps in his ear because Laxus has never been the one to end calls with declarations like that. _What is going on?_ If he didn’t know better, he’d almost think that Laxus was getting ready to… but know, they had talked about it a few months ago and had agreed that they weren’t ready for that just yet, and while his feelings had changed since then they hadn’t talked about it again.

   Sighing, and hoping he would get answers when they met for dinner, he put the phone aside, downed the rest of his coffee with a grimace as it burned his tongue on the way down before climbing to his feet and heading for the door even as he checked his pager.

****

    Rogue had finally snatched a moment to scoff down his lunch and call Sting after quickly scanning through the rest of the messages that had arrived while he was busy. Nearly thirty in total, and not for the first time he rolled his eyes at his fiancé’s antics, ever as he dialled the familiar number and waited, hoping that he hadn’t missed Sting’s break. It rang and rang, and rang, and he was about to give up and go back to work, hearing the hustle and bustle of the front shop even back here, when Sting finally answered, sounding a little bit out of breath.

“Rogue!”

“Hey,” he smiled, feeling the stress and chaos of the morning melting away, even though he knew he would need to plunge back into it in a few minutes. “Have you actually done anything this morning, apart from find love poems?” He teased, earning a laugh from Sting.

“I’ve been busy,” Sting huffed. “I saw Laxus too, he’s freaking out about tonight.” Rogue lifted an eyebrow at that, unable to imagine the bouncer being nervous about anything even though he knew what the man had planned for today. “Besides, I had Lucy send me a load of those last week, so I was prepared.”

   That… was so like Sting, Rogue thought after a pause, barking a laugh as he imagined Sting pestering her until she gave in and helped him. He made a note to get her something nice to make up for it, probably some new journals or something as she never seemed to have enough, although he knew that Sting would have done something already.

“Well thank her for me.”

“Rogue,” Sting protested, and Rogue could imagine the pout, trying not to think about how much he wanted to kiss it away. “So, how crazy is in the shop?”

“Manic,” Rogue muttered, as he tilted his head towards the shop, hearing Yukino’s voice raised in a rare show of frustration and he knew that he would need to head back soon. “Apparently no one is prepared for Valentine’s this year, and they all need flowers, but they don’t know which flowers and it has to be perfect, and…” He trailed off, realising that he was ranting and rambling at this point, running a hand through his hair. “Sorry.”

“Aren’t you glad I don’t like flowers?”

“So, no roses?” Rogue asked, feigning horror, feeling some of the stress and tension that had built up bleeding away under the teasing. If he were honest, he would happily have drowned his partner in flowers if that was what he wanted, although it was nice to be able to separate his work from them, and he grinned as Sting protested.

“Rogue…”

“I know! I know!” He reassured him. “I’ve got to go before Yukino channels her inner Minerva and kicks everyone out of the shop.” It had happened once before, and he wasn’t keen to repeat the experience, even if he couldn’t really blame her today.

“Okay,” Sting grumbled before his voice softened. “I’ll have the takeaway on speed dial for when you get back.” Rogue was reasonably sure that shouldn’t have sounded as romantic as it did, and maybe it was just the morning he’d had but that sounded like heaven right now.

“You are an Angel.”

“Only sometimes,” Sting drawled, and that threatened to trigger a whole different conversation, and Rogue knew that if he didn’t go now, then he wouldn’t go at all and with a sigh, he cut in before his fiancé could get into full flow.

“Love you.”

“Love you too,” Sting was smiling, Rogue could practically see it, and as his partner made silly kissing noises down the phone, he laughed and hung up. And he was still smiling, even as he made his way back into the chaos at the front of the shop.

****

    Freed was coming along the corridor when he spotted Mest hovering outside Lahar’s door, clutching a bouquet of flowers and a box that he would bet a month’s salary contained strawberry cheesecake after his suggestion earlier. A quick glance at his watch confirmed that Lahar was probably down with Erza at the moment, and he cleared his voice as he approached, trying not to startle the other man. He failed, as Mest leapt like a frightened cat before shooting an apologetic look at him, no trace of the interrogator that he’d faced before to be seen, and he smiled, expression softening as he took in the white-knuckled grip on the flowers.

“Lahar is with Erza at the moment, but he should be back in the next half hour. You can wait for him inside if you want?” He offered, knowing from experience that Mest wouldn’t intrude without an invitation. For all his forcefulness at times, he always seemed hyper-aware of Lahar’s boundaries, and he could see it now in the way he hesitated. “He won’t mind.” In fact, Mest was probably the only person he could say that about with any confidence. “Especially, since you’ve brought his blackmail material,” he tilted his head towards the box.

“He told you?”

“I was the one to suggest it.” Freed knew he had him them because Mest glanced between the box and him and then smiled. Still, nervous, but it reached his eyes, and he nodded and headed for the door, before pausing for a moment.

“How is he feeling today?”

“He’s sore, but he’s doing well.” It was the most that Freed would say without Lahar there, although he had never hidden anything from Mest – something that he had thought to be a mistake on occasion, especially in the early days when he had been snappish and lashing out at everyone and everything. Still, there was a weight to the question that had Freed pausing, eyes drifting to the flowers for a moment, easily recognising Rogue’s work, as Laxus when he did buy flowers – a rare occasion in and of itself- refused to go anywhere else and understanding dawned a smile tugging at his lips. “And he seemed to be looking forward to seeing you,” he added, knowing that he had hit the nail on the head when Mest blinked and ducked his head, before practically fleeing into the room. Freed chuckled, making a note to let Evergreen know that she had been spot on with her guesses, not really a surprise, as she seemed to have an uncanny knack for that kind of thing, as he went on his way, hoping to cram in some more paperwork before his next round.

****

    It had been a little closer to an hour before Lahar had been wheeled back into the room, and by that point, Mest had worked himself up into a nervous lather, not sure what he was going to do if this went badly. But also unsure of how it could go anything but… and he had leapt out of his chair as though it was on fire when the other man had appeared, pressing himself out of the way, as the fiery, red-headed physiotherapist helped Lahar up onto the bed.

“Mest.” He had been trying to avoid staring, knowing that Lahar was uncomfortable with it, but his head shot up at his name to find Lahar looking at him, seeming oblivious to the woman tucking the covers around him. “Do you have the thing I asked you for?” It was the first time he had heard the other man sound uncertain, as though he had expected Mest to refuse and he blinked for a moment, before realising that Lahar’s expression had startled to fall.

“Of course, I did,” he said, finding his voice as he reached for the box that he had stashed carefully on one of the spare chairs, picking it up and moving to Lahar’s side. Unprepared for the small smile, something that had been a rare sight before the accident and was now almost unheard of as Lahar accepted it with a whispered thank you, before turning to pass it to Erza who accepted it with a smile. Mest was barely listening to their conversation, as Erza teased Lahar about bribery, promising him that she was still going to be just as hard on him, still caught up on that smile, and he was caught by surprise when a hand brushed his, a moment later.

“Mest?”

      He was startled to realise that it was just the two of them, Erza gone with the cheesecake he had brought – the last strawberry one on the shelf, as apparently, it was a popular treat on valentine’s day, and Lahar was looking at him with a frown. Trembling again, the nervousness that had been briefly forgotten surging to the fore once more, he turned and retrieved the flowers where he had hidden them out of sight when he’d still been debating with himself if he was going to actually hand them over. There was no way to hide the tremor in his hands, the wrapping rattling with the force of it as he took a deep breath before holding the bouquet out to Lahar, his voice little more than a whisper as he explained.

“These are for you…”

****

    Rogue glanced at the clock, sure that it was moving slower than ever as they crept towards closing time. At least the flood of humanity had slowly trickled out over the afternoon, and while the shop was never empty, it had given them a chance to breathe and tidy up. The dozens of extra buckets of roses they had ordered in for Valentine’s day were depleted, and he was in the process of rounding up the leftover roses into a couple of buckets and storing the now empty ones out the back. Listening with half an ear as Yukino chatted with customers or called out reports of what they’d gone through today, knowing that he should be paying more attention as he would need to do some extra orders in the next day or so to replenish their stock. However, at this point, he was unable to focus now that it was nearly time to head home and see Sting.

    His fiancé had been bombarding his phone with more silly messages and poems whenever he had a spare moment at work and itched to pull it out and read them. And he was just about to slip into the back and give in to the temptation when the door jingled again, and Yukino’s cheerful greeting of - “Laxus, long time no see,” had him turning around in surprise. To see that it was indeed Laxus who had just sidled inside, looking as uncomfortable as always, especially when his gaze lingered on their valentine’s decorations for a minute.

“Laxus?” Rogue abandoned the buckets he had been moving, dusting his hands off as he clambered to his feet with a frown. “I thought you would be getting ready for tonight?”

“Same…”

“What happened?” Rogue demanded.

“There was a big accident, so Freed’s going to be late home,” Laxus explained with a sigh, and Rogue grimaced in sympathy, knowing that neither of them would be happy about that. It made him more grateful for his job because as insane and tiring as the day had been, he knew that he would still be home on time and that Sting would be waiting for him.  “I already cancelled the restaurant.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I knew it could happen,” Laxus shrugged, before he straightened and for a second Rogue got a glimpse of the nervousness that Sting had mentioned, mouth dropping open before he could stop it, and then Laxus’ expression shifted to a determined scowl. “I’m still going to ask him.” It amused Rogue how much that sounded like a threat than a promise right then, even though he knew how much Laxus loved Freed, having been the one roped into helping him with the flowers the first time Laxus had asked the doctor out. That felt like a lifetime ago now, and he smiled, forgetting his countdown as he realised why Laxus was here.

“What do you need?” He asked, glancing around, mentally running over what stock they had left as he waited for Laxus to reply, grimacing as he realised that next year he was really going to have to order more.

“As many roses as you have left,” Laxus replied, following his gaze and wrinkling his nose. “I know it’s late...” There was a hint of exasperation in his voice now, and a twinge of disappointment before he could hide it completely, after all, he had been planning tonight for a while. “But I want to make our flat as…romantic… as possible.” Rogue barely smothered a laugh as Laxus struggled over the word, knowing that he didn’t like ‘romance’ even though he often went out of his way to spoil Freed, and he stored this moment away to give Sting a chuckle later. He ignored the way blue eyes had narrowed, after all, they had all teased him about it before, but he wasn’t going to tease him too much tonight as he stepped forward and patted the man on the arm before herding him towards the roses.

“All right, let's see what we can do.”

****

 


	3. Chapter 3

 

_“These are for you…”_

    Lahar had received flowers before. Countless times, especially since he had been in the hospital, and he could remember waking up to find the sides in his room covered in flowers. What he couldn’t remember was what the flowers had looked like, or how they’d smelt, or this strange warmth that blossomed in his chest as he hesitantly reached out and accepted the bouquet from Mest. Their fingers brushed, and he realised that they were both trembling, jerking back, with the flowers falling against his chest and for a moment all he could see, and smell was the bouquet. Mest made an aborted attempt to come and help, hands curling at his sides as he looked away, a blush creeping across his cheeks and crawling up to the tips of his ears.

“There are for me?” Lahar asked, before cursing himself for asking the obvious and ducking his head to study the flowers. He might not know much about flowers, it wasn’t a topic that had interested him before or after the accident, but even he could appreciate the effort that had been put into the arrangement, brushing trembling fingers against a rose. “Why…?” He asked softly. It wasn’t exactly what he wanted to ask, but he didn’t have the words right then to ask the other questions that were darting through his mind.

“Because I…” Thankfully Mest didn’t seem to be in a much better state, stumbling over his words and his ears now a bright red as he carefully avoided looking at Lahar. “Because it’s…it’s valentine’s day.”   

_Valentine’s day…_

     Lahar blinked. It wasn’t that he had missed the decorations in the hospital or the flowers and cards in the rooms that he’d passed, but he hadn’t connected the dots. Or, maybe he hadn’t wanted to, because it had seemed like yet another thing that was outside of his life now, and he swallowed, the flowers taking on a different meaning. A scary one, but one that warmed him at the same time, and he held them close.

“But…” _Why me? Why when I’m like this…?_ He didn’t say the words, not least because Mest had scolded him for saying that once before. In fact, now that he looked back, that conversation, which had shown a side of Mest that he had never seen before took on a whole new meaning, that he veered away from naming, because what if he was wrong? What if he was misunderstanding all of this…?

“I like you.” The words were soft, but they silenced Lahar immediately, cutting sharply through his doubts and uncertainties, and he felt his mouth drop open, but he couldn’t speak as he lifted his head to find that Mest was staring at him. There was something fierce and determined in his expression, the hesitation that normally coloured their interactions nowhere to be seen as he added more firmly. “I’ve liked you for a long time.”

“You never said…”

“I was going to,” Mest’s voice had dropped again, and his shoulders hunched, defensive, but not against the question, and it didn’t take long to realise why as he added softly.  “Before…”

_Before…_

    That was what most of his life seemed to boil down to these days. Before – when everything had been normal, and he had been rising through the ranks in the police force, a stickler for the rules, but slowly learning to relax because of the man standing at his bedside. And the now, which was not as terrible as he had once thought it might be when he had woken up in the hospital, half his left leg gone, his arm in a cast and his body a mass of cuts and bruises. “Did this change things then?” The question slipped out anywhere, the hurt which simmered beneath the surface whenever anyone treated him differently than they had before roaring to life, despite his decision not to voice it only seconds before. “Is that why…?” He was getting into his stride, voice growing louder, even as he saw Mest flinching with each word, only to fall silent, the wind taken from his sails as the other man whispered with a desperation that was painful to hear.

“You wouldn’t have been out that night if it weren’t for me.”

“Mest, that…” Lahar began, blurting out the words before he’d worked out what he wanted to say because the idea that this was Mest’s fault… he shook his head frantically, voice more earnest than it had been in a long time.  “I never blamed you.” He had blamed so many people in the early days, himself, the other driver, the doctors and nurses who were trying to help him, but beyond the first darkest days when he had lashed out at everyone and anyone, he had never even considered blaming Mest.

“But…”

“Maybe, I wouldn’t have been on the road that night,” Lahar conceded because he had already gone home for the night when the other man had rung about a new lead that had just come in.  “However, you didn’t make me head into the office.” In fact, Mest had told him to leave it to morning, that he’d just wanted him to be up to date on what information they had, but he had been so focused on the case, on doing his job, that he had all but rushed out of his front door while still on the phone. “Just as I could just have easily taken a different route.” Hell, he had even considered it, before the radio had warned of traffic building up on the other route into work. “Or, he could have left a little later or earlier, or taken a different route… or decided to get a taxi home.” How many hours had he spent wishing that was the case? Too many to count, and he knew that there would always be a part of him that did.

    Mest still didn’t look convinced, and Lahar sighed before reaching out. “It was an accident.” _An avoidable one,_ he couldn’t stop himself from adding silently, but an accident none the less. It didn’t detract from the awful, leaden weight that had been a constant companion since he’d woken up in the hospital, although there were moments, when he was making progress with Erza or when Freed would offer encouragement. And times like this, with Mest at his side, when it didn’t feel quite so overwhelming, and his lips quirked at that realisation, realising that Mest wasn’t the only one trembling as his fingers brushed the back of the other man’s hand. “This wasn’t your fault.” He had been adrift in uncertainties since the accident, and he still wasn’t sure what was going to happen when he was discharged, the talks about the future going over his head most times.

But he was sure of this.

    His fingers curled around Mest’s, tugging him closer, not that Mest put up a fight, although the way his fingers curled against Lahar’s, in turn, was much more hesitation. “Mest.” He faltered and glanced down at the flowers still sat in his lap. _How blind have I been?_ No, he hadn’t been blind. He had always been aware of the fact that Mest was there, never far from his side even when he had been at his worst, snapping and snarling with every other word. He hadn’t wanted to see, hadn’t trusted himself to look. Yet others had he realised, remembering Freed’s quiet confidence that Mest wouldn’t mind picking up the cake for him to give to Erza, or how Evergreen had joked in passing that it was like having a second, better-behaved patient he was there so often.

    He wasn’t sure that he was ready to address what this was, or where they could go from here, the future looming, amorphous and terrifying. But he also couldn’t leave it unanswered, because they had been dancing around it for far too long. He refused to think about _before,_ and all the signs that he must’ve missed, but he could think about the now, and his grip tightened, and he waited patiently for Mest to meet his gaze once more.

“Stay?” He asked, trying to pour at least some of the emotions he was feeling into that simple word, before adding less steadily.  “Please.” He didn’t doubt that Mest would say yes, he realised, but still, he found himself waiting with bated breath until the other man nodded, finally taking the final step to his bedside, and shifting until they were holding hands comfortably.

    It was only later when the flowers had been moved onto the bedside table, and Mest had settled in his usual seat beside him, albeit scooted closer than usual. Still holding his hand tight, that Lahar realised that it had been the first time that he’d actually asked Mest to stay. It was a silly thing, a tiny step, and yet as he glanced down at their conjoined hands, fresh warmth blossomed in his chest.

_A new beginning…_  

****

   Rogue huffed a sigh of relief as he locked the shop door, letting his head fall against the glass for a moment. It had been a long, seemingly never-ending day, and he was exhausted and more than ready to go home and curl up with Sting and the cats. However, it had also been a good day, and he smiled as he thought about Mest and Laxus, and the other people he had sent on their way with a smile on their face. Shaking his head, he turned around and took in the mess of empty buckets, and scattered leaves and petals, and for half a second, he was just tempted to leave it until the next morning for once. However, he knew that if he did it once, then it would become a bad habit, and besides, they would have a delivery in the morning, and it would just be chaos, and after today the last thing he wanted was more chaos.

“Go home once you’ve finished that Yukino,” he called instead, as he moved to the till to grab the brush, squeezing past where she was counting up. “I can finish the last few bits.”

“But…”

“Go,” Rogue cut off the weak protest, having seen her checking the clock for the last hour and her phone in the few breaks she’d managed to snatch, offering her a knowing smirk that had her blushing even before his next words.  “Enjoy your evening.” The fight went out of her with those words, and she was still blushing even as she nodded. Rogue grinned, making a note to mention that to Sting at some point, his partner having been adamant that she was seeing someone for the past few months, before taking the brush and tackling the mess on the shop floor.

    He was engrossed in his work, jumping when Yukino appeared with her bag over one shoulder a few minutes and making a beeline for the door before he could change his mind. “I’ll see you in the morning?” She asked as she unlocked the door.

“Bright and early,” he grimaced. At this time of night, and after a day like today it was hard to drum up much enthusiasm, especially at the thought of another early morning, but he knew that come morning and especially after a night with Sting he would be more than ready for it.

“Sting better spoil you after the day that you’ve had,” she said with a fierceness that startled a laugh out of him, remembering how she had been the one to pull Sting aside back in the early days of the relationship, attempting to appear stern as she warned him not to hurt Rogue.

“Yukino.” Half-laughing, half-scolding he shooed her out the door with the brush. “He will,” he added with a smile as he closed the door.

****

    Freed was exhausted as he collected his bag and coat from his office, a headache throbbing behind his eyes. It had been a long day, and not just because he hadn’t been able to leave on time, and he grimaced as he glanced up at the cloak. Dinner was long gone, and he sighed. Laxus had been understanding when he’d rung to let him know he was going to be late…again, but the disappointment had been obvious, and Freed closed his eyes. He didn’t deserve the other man…

“You’re still here? I would have thought you’d have run out the door by now.” The unexpected voice made him, turning to find Evergreen leaning against the doorframe and smirking at him in a way that had him taking a cautious step back as that expression rarely boded well for him.

“Ever?”

“I was ordered to give you that.” She flung something at him, and it was more instinct than anything that had him throwing up a hand to catch it, hissing as a thorn scraped his thumb, before blinking as he stared at the rose in his hands. The yellow ribbon tied messily around telling him exactly who it was from, and warmth replaced the sinking feeling that had been threatening to consume him. _Laxus,_ his fingers brushed against the crimson petal, wondering when his partner had dropped by, before lifting his head to look at Ever again.

“Thank…”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” she cut him off, and he tensed for a second, before realising that her smile had morphed into something softer.  “Now go, and if I see your ass in this building before your next shift, I’m setting Bickslow on you.” That wasn’t a threat to be taken lightly, because Bickslow could and would cause havoc if he was given a chance, and he had decided a long time ago, that making sure the pair of them – and especially Freed – took care of themselves was a good reason. Shuddering as he remembered what had happened last time, he slipped the rose into his jacket pocket and nodded, heading for the door.

“Thank you,” he paused, ducking his head to kiss her cheek before darting past and away before she could say anything, hearing her spluttering behind him.

     As he headed for the lift, he passed Lahar’s room and couldn’t resist glancing inside, unsurprised but pleased to see that Mest was there. He saw the flowers on the bedside table, and the closeness that hadn’t been there before, and as Mest glanced up and met his gaze, there was a light in his eyes that Freed hadn’t seen before. And he had a feeling that if he could see it would have been matched by the one in Lahar’s eyes, but his patient was facing away, completely focused on his companion. Freed smiled, and nodded, before heading on his way and leaving them to enjoy what was left of Valentine’s day, trusting that Ever would have picked up on it as well and would be lenient on them.

_It’s time to go home._

****

     Sting glanced up from where he had just finished tidying the living room reading for their evening together, or rather from stuffing things out of sight in the cupboard and under the sofa as his phone pinged. A task made harder by the cats darting in and out of his feet, Lector especially taking pleasure in pouncing on any dangling thread, wide-awake and full of mischief after a day without him and Rogue there to keep him entertained. Frosch trailed loyally behind Lector, less interested in stalking the various items that Sting was moving than in just being involved and Sting paused to scratch the lopsided ears before moving across to retrieve his phone.

_Just leaving the shop now. X_

    He smiled, relieved that Rogue had remembered to let him know he was on his way even though he had been more than a little frazzled when they’d spoken earlier. He texted a quick reply, adding a lot more kisses and barely resisting adding another sappy love poem at the end. He would give Rogue a break from that, for now… after all, he still had plenty left to use, and it might be fun to watch Rogue’s expression as he said them to him.

    Grinning wickedly, an expression that would usually have his fiancé running for the hills or calling in Minerva for support, he looked around for his coat, as he wanted to have the food in before Rogue got home so that his partner wouldn’t worry about it. He had just spotted it hanging over the edge of the armchair when it disappeared, and with a growl, he darted forward just in time to watch Frosch run headlong into the cupboard with the coat draped over his head. There was a dull thud as he collided with the wood, a pause, and then the door swung open with a groan and everything he had just haphazardly forced inside spilt out on the floor.

“Frosch…”

****

    Freed hesitated outside the door to their apartment, hand on the door handle. He’d texted Laxus to say that he was on his way home, but he hadn’t received a reply, and despite the rose still tucked in his pocket his stomach was tying itself in knots because he couldn’t remember the last time his boyfriend had failed to respond to a message unless he was asleep. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped inside, an apology already on the tip of his tongue.

“I am so…” He blinked startled to find Laxus stood in the hallway waiting for him, not sure what to make of the unreadable expression on his partner’s face. “Sorry?” He finished in a small voice, before glancing down, hands clenching as he heard Laxus sigh and move closer, startled when the other man reached for his bag. Off guard, he didn’t stop him as Laxus pulled it aside, still unable to look up as Laxus stepped into his space, at least until he felt him beginning to undo the buttons of his jacket, then he glanced up wide-eyed. “Laxus?” There was a half-smile now, the blue eyes still mostly unreadable but meeting his without hesitation, and then there were lips on his forehead, and he closed his eyes, unable to hide his relief as he leant into the gentle contact.

“Go, and get changed,” Laxus ordered, once he’d finished the buttons, nudging Freed to turn around so that he could help him out of his coat.

“But we’ve missed dinner,” Freed pointed out confused, knowing that there was going to be no tables available this late at night, and he was caught by surprise by the smug expression on Laxus’ face, his partner raising an eyebrow as he saw his expression.

“What? Did you think I didn’t have a backup plan?” Laxus asked.

“But…”

“I know you Freed Justine.” The use of his full name had Freed tensing for a moment before the rest of his words registered, and by that point Laxus had stepped forward and caught him by the chin, tilting his face upwards as he added quietly. “And I wasn’t going to lose tonight.” Freed wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but the kiss that followed left him in doubt that he had been forgiven and he melted into it, perfectly content to spend the evening just like this, and he was disappointed when Laxus broke the kiss and pushed him gently. “Now go and get changed.”

“Into?” Freed asked, bewildered, not sure what his boyfriend had planned.

“Something comfortable,” Laxus replied with a shrug and a grin, as Freed looked even more confused by that instruction. Realising that he wasn’t going to get anything else out of Laxus, Freed nodded and headed for the bedroom, noticing that the door through to the living room and kitchen was closed with a frown, unable to remember the last time they had closed them.

_What is he planning?_

_*_

    He was no closer to an answer after he’d finished getting changed, choosing a pair of sweats and one of Laxus’ hoodies that he had purloined months ago. It buried him, but it was warm and soft, and every now and then Laxus would steal it back to try and make sure that it smelled like him for the nights that he was at work and Freed was at home. He buried his nose in it now, glancing around the bedroom, still caught off guard even after all this time to see their belongings so perfectly mingled around the room. However, there was nothing out of place, or that would suggest what his partner had up his sleeve and grumbling half-heartedly under his breath he made his way back to the living room door which was still closed.

“Laxus?” He called as he opened the door, not sure if he was meant to be coming in yet and not wanting to ruin the surprise, especially after ruining their previous plans. However, he fell silent as he stepped inside, to find their living room completely covered in roses, with candles flicking on the sideboard, casting a warm glow over the room. The middle of the floor had been cleared, the sofa pushed back against the wall and the coffee table banished to the corner, and instead a blanket had been laid out along with a picnic and a box of Freed’s favourite chocolates in the middle.

    However, he barely registered any of that, his attention riveted on Laxus who was on one knee just a short distance from the door, a light blush dusting his cheeks as Freed met his gaze. “Laxus, I…” He faltered, falling silent as the candlelight glinted off the ring in the box that Laxus all but thrust towards him, a sign of how nervous he was, although it wasn’t reflected in the deep voice as Laxus asked softly.

“Freed Justine, will you marry me?”

    There was a roaring sound in his ears, his heart hammering in his chest and for a moment Freed was caught between the urge to laugh or cry, because it was valentine’s day and they were supposed to have been out in a fancy restaurant…and he had ruined that. Yet Laxus must’ve been planning this for a while, because he was here, their living room looking more romantic than Freed had ever seen it, with no trace of the disappointment that had coloured his voice earlier, waiting and watching, with nervousness seeping into his expression.

“Y-yes,” Freed’s voice cracked and broke as he took half a step forward, and he coughed to clear his voice before a laugh bubbled up, and he all but threw himself at his partner. The box going tumbling across the picnic blanket, as they fell backwards, and he was laughing and peppering Laxus’ face with kisses, even as Laxus’ arms crept around him, holding him close.  “Yes.” He managed to say, steadier this time before he was pulled into a deep kiss, and as his fingers curled into Laxus’ shirt he could feel how his partner…fiancé’s heart was hammering just as hard as his was.

   There was a tiny part of him, one easily buried beneath the swelling happiness in his heart as buried his head in the crook of Laxus’ neck as they broke away from the kiss, that was terrified of this step. After all, the last time they had talked about it, they had agreed they weren’t ready. But that was then, and this was now, and that spark of terror was easily lost beneath the happiness and excitement, and he was whispering ‘yes’ again, pressing the word into Laxus’ skin, even as he felt the other man capture his hand and finally slip the ring into place while he was distracted.

_It’s another step forward…_

****

     Rogue huffed a sigh of relief as he let himself in through the front door, immediately catching the tantalising scent of pizza coming from the front room, his stomach growling. He kicked off his shoes and dumped his coat, lacking the energy to worry about putting things away, following the scent with his nose in the air.

“Sting?” He called as he moved into the living room, eyes immediately darting to the pizza already laid out on the coffee table. Plastic wine glasses – a defence against cats that seemed to like breaking things, already filled -and the sight of his favourite blanket folded over the arm, although they would be lucky to get it as Frosch and Lector were curled up on top of it. Although Frosch stirred as he entered, chirping a sleepy greeting before curling against the other cat with a loud purr.

“I was starting to think you’d got lost,” Sting teased, coming in from the kitchen with plates that were promptly dumped on the sofa in favour of coming across to greet him. “Long day?” He asked, voice softer as Rogue all but melted into him as Sting wrapped his arms around him, and Rogue just nodded, burying his face into his fiancé and taking a deep breath. Sting kissed the top of his head, hand moving to rub soothing circles across his back, content to just hold him for a moment, and Rogue’s hands crept up, pulling his partner closer.

“The longest,” he agreed finally, finding his voice as his stomach gurgled louder. “Food.” Sting laughed at the demand, pulling back, although he still kept an arm around Rogue’s shoulders as he herded him down onto the sofa.

“We have plenty,” Sting pointed out, and Rogue blinked, realising that there was a lot more than their usual valentine’s order. “It’s valentine’s day, so they were feeling generous,” Sting answered the unspoken question with a shrug, before grinning as he pointed at himself.  “Besides, who could resist this face.” He puckered his lips and widened his eyes and Rogue who hadn’t been expecting the silly expression, snorted loudly, startling both cats awake. Lector yowling out his protest, while Frosch just rolled over, falling off the arm and settling into the gap between it and Rogue, digging his claws in slightly to show he wasn’t happy.

“Who, indeed,” Rogue was still chuckling, even as he reached down to pet Frosch, the claws disappearing as the cat melted with a purr under the ministrations. He leant into Sting’s side, craving his warmth and presence after the long day.  “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Always,” Sting promised, kissing his temple and squeezing lightly before he pulled back and moved to rescue the plates that were slowly disappearing under his bum. “Come on, let’s eat, and then you can pick the movie.”

“Did Yukino tell you to spoil me?” Rogue demanded, even as he accepted a plate and eagerly reached for the pizza. Sting made an offended noise, before turning pink.

“What gave it away?”

“You letting me choose the movie,” Rogue laughed, loading up his plate, before leaning in to kiss his now pouting boyfriend on the cheek. Sting was infamous amongst their group for being fussy about what movies he watched, and he would rarely let them choose if he could get away with deciding. “You know I’m happy with anything, I just want to eat and then curl up because it’s been a long day.” Sting tilted his head, catching the kiss on his lips with a grin that told Rogue he had got exactly what he wanted, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Especially when Sting deepened the kiss, the slight tang of tomato telling Rogue that he had already tested the pizza before he got home, before leaning against him with a sigh.

“Next year…”

“I know,” Rogue murmured, smiling at the thought. It had been their New Year’s promise to one another, that they would be married by the end of the next year, which meant that next Valentine’s day when they would probably do the same as they had this year, they would no longer be fiancés, but husbands. “Mr Cheney…”

“Mr Eucliffe,” Sting retorted immediately with a grin. Another kiss taking any sting out of the long-running debate, and there was a comfortable silence as they finished piling their plates high, before sinking back into the sofa, and raising the plastic wine glasses in a toast as Lector immediately tried to spring up to bat at them, and Frosch purred contentedly next to Rogue.

_To the future…_

 


End file.
